LOCH SHELDRAKE — Eugene Matarese barrels through the Byzantine hallways of the Grandview Palace Condominiums on his guided misery tour.

He stops for carpeting and ceiling tile stained by persistent water leaks. He opens a stairway door and points to another example of exposed wiring.

"It's like this all over," said Matarese, a condo owner since 2006.

The depth of Grandview's fire-safety and building-maintenance code violations is so serious that the Town of Fallsburg's engineer recommended last month that residents be evacuated until the violations are addressed.

An investigation into those problems hints at a larger scandal: the possibility that the current violations date from the original conversion of the former Brown's Hotel to condos, a project for which crucial paperwork is missing.

"There aren't even enough fire extinguishers. That's how ridiculous this thing is," said Matarese, who is embroiled in a lawsuit against the Grandview's board of managers, who oversee its finances and operations, including maintaining public areas. "It's like the Titanic," Matarese said.

The seriousness of fire-safety and building-maintenance issues at Grandview have been documented in two recent inspections: one in November led by Mollie Messenger, the town's code enforcement officer, and another in December by town engineer Keystone Associates.

Keystone's report included concerns about Grandview's sprinkler system and fire-alarm systems, a lack of required fire doors and a shortage of "compliant" exit signs. It also noted exposed wiring.

Keystone's report also said "it is our understanding that no building permit was applied for, no drawings have been submitted for the change of occupancy or certificates of occupancy issued."

"We're all still trying to locate what we have, and it hasn't been easy," Fallsburg Supervisor Steve Vegliante said.

Many of those problems can be traced to 1995, said David Rajwan, president of Grandview Palace's board of managers.

That year a group of investors, led by Miami Beach developer Joel Gamel, bought the once-thriving Brown's Hotel property for $1.5 million. They then spent millions more converting hotel rooms into what are now 396 condos.

An engineer's report in 1999, two years after Grandview opened, noted "major structural deficiencies" and other problems. They included a 41-year-old boiler, exposed wiring and roof leaks.

The report called for an estimated $1.3 million in repairs.

"If the conversion was done wrong, then there is a big issue," Rajwan said.

Matarese and other residents have long complained about problems at Grandview, and the performance of Fallsburg's Code Enforcement Office.

Their frustration, they say, was driven by the office's delayed response to concerns about building safety and maintenance complaints while under former Code Enforcement Officer Allen Frishman, who abruptly resigned in July.

"The fact that they would let the Grandview become a repeat offender — and violate and violate and violate — what was the incentive," said Matarese.

Complaints have also been lobbed at Rajwan and other members of Grandview's board. They have been accused of heavy-handed leadership and of failing to detail how they spend monthly maintenance fees approaching $500.

"I feel like a renter," said one owner, who wanted to remain anonymous because of worries about retaliation. "There's no transparency. I'm supposed to be able to see where my money goes."